The dozen or so protesters from Tower Hamlets had chosen an apposite day for their demonstration at Barclays' Canary Wharf headquarters. Hours earlier, the bank had announced that its chief executive, Bob Diamond, had been awarded a £6.5m bonus, while two other high-flyers had received over £10m each.

"We didn't know that the bonuses would be announced," said Liam Taylor, a teacher from Langdon Park school in Tower Hamlets, who led the protest. "We chose the day because of council meetings on the budget."

It was the first protest by Tower Hamlets Uncut, inspired by the UK Uncut network. They held a quick huddle at Poplar station, where small posters were handed out, and decided on what to chant once they entered Barclays.

After a 10-minute walk, the protesters went through the revolving doors into the palatial lobby, unnoticed by security. They gathered in front of a sculpture, where they began their noisy protest. "Barclays Bank pays no tax, Tower Hamlets gets the axe," the group chanted, and: "Barclays, pay your tax."

The protest started as Barclays employees were going home, and security staff diverted bemused bankers to a side entrance as if they might be somehow contaminated by the protesters.

Among the small group was Paul McGarr, a maths teacher at Langdon Park school. "With these cuts, some 40 teachers are facing redundancy this month," said McGarr, his five-year-old son sitting on his shoulders. "They say there's no money, but look at these bonuses. Is it right that people are not paying tax and getting massive bonuses? What a contrast to needy and vulnerable children. We want to make the point that there is something morally wrong with this cuts agenda."

Last month it emerged that Barclays paid £113m of corporation tax in 2009 despite profits in the billions. It paid out £3.5bn in bonuses in 2010. Tower Hamlets Uncut said Barclays' bonus pool was more than has been spent on education in the borough so far this century.

Michelle Holland, who comes from Tower Hamlets and teaches English at Langdon Park, said it was unbelievable that the children at her school were growing up "under the shadow of all this money", but were now seeing so much taken away from them.

"They are now worried how they will get jobs or go to university," she said.

"Bob Diamond can see my school playground from his office," said Rob Smith, 25, a teacher from Tower Hamlets. "His bonus alone would buy a laptop for every schoolchild in Tower Hamlets. These banks are part of our borough, but they act as though they are on another planet."

One of the poorest boroughs in Britain, Tower Hamlets has the UK's highest proportion of children living in poverty. The council plans £70m in budget cuts over the next three years, hitting youth services, home care, school support and mental health support.

The protest ended without incident, although police had gathered outside. As Taylor and his group went home, one banker said to a colleague: "How could six people make so much noise."